The present invention relates to model railroad track, and more particularly, to model railroad track with a track bed which simulates ballast or other track bed materials.
In scale model railroading, there is a constant desire to provide functional miniaturized railroading equipment and accessories which are realistic scale reproductions of actual railroad equipment. However, due to the small size of the HO and N scale gauges, which are currently the most popular sizes, it is often difficult to provide realistic looking accessories which also perform their intended function.
Another problem associated with the smaller model track, such as HO and N, is that the track sections are typically connected together with tubular rail connectors which provide an electrical and mechanical connection between the rails. However, these connectors have not proven adequate to maintain the track sections together in use and it was therefore necessary to permanently mount track sets in such gauges to boards to assure that the rail sections did not become dislodged during use. This problem has been addressed by the assignee of the present invention by providing track assembly segments in which each segment includes the track and simulated ballast. The simulated ballast closely resembles ballast railroad beds and provides a molded support bed for the model railroad track with a separate mechanical latching mechanism to securely hold the track sections together.
One problem which has not been previously addressed is to provide model railroad switches which have a scale appearance as well as decouplers for uncoupling model railroad rolling stock. Of particular concern to hobbyists are switches which are used to selectively direct model rolling stock along first or second paths.
In the known switches, the switch motor and actuating mechanism are located adjacent to the track and are grossly out of scale in order to provide a functioning switch. Both manual and remotely actuated model railroad switches generally include a slide actuator, located in a housing located alongside the rails, having a serpentine slot which can be manually moved or driven by a switch motor between first and second positions. A first cross slide, having a follower which is positioned in the serpentine slot, is driven in a transverse direction to the cross slide by the serpentine slot acting on the follower. A flexible arm is connected between the first cross slide and a second cross slide. The two moveable track sections of the switch are connected to the second cross slide. Upon movement of the slide actuator, either by manual actuation or the switch motor, the first cross slide is moved in the transverse direction by the follower in the serpentine slot. This in turn moves the flexible beam which actuates the second cross slide to move the moveable switch rails. Aside from the housing and switch motor being out of scale, this arrangement can also present functional problems because the slide actuator has an intermediate zone where the moveable rails are in an intermediate location which could cause rolling stock traveling through the switch to derail if the slide actuator is not moved to one or the other extreme.
Similarly, use of automatic uncouplers for model railroad rolling stock generally requires mounting a magnet between the rails of the track for HO scale trains, or using a vertically moveable uncoupling device mounted between the rails for N scale trains. While these known uncoupling devices function, they present a problem for scale model railroaders since they are difficult to integrate into a model railroad layout while maintaining a scale appearance.